Extrait de Section Four, July 1652 – Italian State of Venice near Austria

Jala stopped in mid-stride as she caught sight of Aramis holding Laurel. Shock suffused her face. Aramis looked almost as bad as his wife. “If you’re going to do something, you’d better do it now,” Aramis told the dark-haired woman. Those words broke her out of her stupor.

Without explanation or warning Jala sank to her knees and grasped Aramis’ face firmly in her hands and kissed him fiercely on the lips for the briefest of long instants. Aramis was too startled to resist, and then he felt Jala’s mental presence in his mind, and he realized what she was doing. She was reopening the full force of the link to Laurel that he had once had—the best way she knew how. As quickly as it had started Jala pulled away. Ignored the shocked gasps of her companions. “Keep her stable, Aramis. You know what I mean.” The statements were not necessary as he had already engaged in the task and was deep in concentration.

Jean-Pierre grabbed Guillaume by the shoulder and hauled him over to Laurel’s side, not even giving the young man a chance to more than nod a greeting to Louis. Jean-Pierre met first Jala’s gaze and then Guillaume’s. “Now, help direct me and keep me from hurting her. That, and keep me from collapsing before I’m done. And Guillaume, please don’t make me disappear this time.” At least he assumed Guillaume had been responsible. If not, well, it didn’t bear thinking of.

Guillaume was about to protest when Jean-Pierre reached out and touched Laurel, absorbing her pain completely. At that point, speech halted instantaneously.

Jean-Pierre reeled as the pain sensations flooded his neural center, and then they dispersed, absorbed by Aramis, Jala, and Guillaume. What next, his disembodied mind wondered. Find the center of the problem-—Jala prompted the young man, directing him.

With a mental nod, he stripped a barrier and then eased his way into the cranial area. Further he extended his gentle probe, gliding through the mish mash of bruises. It was not the bruises that concerned him for the moment. He had to find the trauma center.

Suddenly Guillaume restrained him, and Jean-Pierre fought until he realized Guillaume had just stopped him from causing Laurel a severe stroke, by cutting off all energy input that Jala and he had been providing, and by dimming Jean-Pierre’s native talent. Once Jean-Pierre had steadied himself again, Guillaume released him, and Jean-Pierre eased his way further into the fabric of Laurel’s brain.

He shivered as he caught sight of the massive blood clot. A major artery had sustained severe damage and some of the brain material had tom apart. Mercy. It was worse than he had thought it might be. Jala gave the young healer a mental slap. Don’t just sit there in shock. Do something, Jean-Pierre.

What? was his only bewildered response to Jala.

I don’t know, dearest. Knit it back together, or maybe recreate the way it is supposed to be.

Jala’s tone of voice forced him from his self-doubt, and he reached out a band of energy and brushed away the bruise. As if it had never been there, it disappeared. He stopped thinking and trying so hard and brushed away each bruise on Laurel’s brain. He wanted it whole and pure. Gently his mental energy fingers closed around the trauma area and a blazing bolt of agony shot clear through him. He felt Aramis steady Laurel, and Jean-Pierre cried out for help.

No hesitation, and Jala and Guillaume fed him with more power, and Guillaume wrapped a gentle blanket of energy closer to Jean-Pierre, magnifying Jean-Pierre’s own ability several fold. Now, Jean-Pierre Guillaume told him. Do what you must. I can’t do this for very long.